


Night Shift

by the_only_education_worth_having



Series: Requested Fics [57]
Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Alex is so cute, Angst, Bad Dreams, Caring, Crying, Cute, Dreams, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Love, Night Terrors, Nightmare, Patient death, Pls Ignore the living situation, Requested fic, Requests, Sobbing, death of a child, mentions of childhood, relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-20 08:02:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30001791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_only_education_worth_having/pseuds/the_only_education_worth_having
Summary: Alex has a long day and an even longer night.
Relationships: Alex Karev/Reader
Series: Requested Fics [57]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/937128
Kudos: 1





	Night Shift

**Author's Note:**

> can you do a Alex Karev x reader where the reader has a nightmare please

Alex’s eyes were so heavy he felt as if he had suitcases underneath them rather than bags. His main patient of the day had been a four-year-old kid who had coded out of the blue on the table during a basic operation. They had tried for over an hour to bring her back but they had failed. Alex had had to leave the OR and tell a mother she was never going to hold her baby again. It had broken him. He had spent a lot of the evening in a supply closet trying to stem the tears that kept flowing for long enough so he could check up on his other patients. He had managed just barely before he grabbed his things from the locker room and then left for home without seeing anyone he knew.

When he got home Izzie and George were in the kitchen, chatting and giggling, which made Alex’s stomach turn. He could hear Meredith and Derek coming through into the living room so he darted upstairs determined not to see anyone. He went into the bathroom and stripped down to nothing and then climbed into the shower, hoping to wash the day away. He dumped his clothes in the laundry basket after he had done and made his way into his room. Y/N was there sleeping soundly, so much so there was drool on the pillow. He chuckled, it was a comforting sight after the day he had just left behind. He climbed in and sidled up next to Y/N who rolled over and allowed him to mould into them. 

Alex inhaled. The smell of shampoo and strawberry shower gel-filled his nose. It was heavenly. He didn’t think, he didn’t allow the day to take over him but instead focused on Y/N’s breathing. The exhaustion of the day pulled him under almost immediately. 

He woke violently. He came to in a daze and for a moment he was unsure where he was but he could hear screaming. Loud screaming. There was a thud and he looked up to see Izzie standing at his door. As Meredith came up behind her looking concerned Alex turned to look at Y/N who was violently thrashing in the bed next to him with a scream that could pierce and eardrum. 

Izzie and Meredith started rabbiting in his ear but Alex paid them no attention as he gently tried to shake Y/N awake. 

‘Don’t wake-’ Meredith said

‘Of course, he should wake Y/N!’ Izzie scolded. 

‘You should just make sure they’re safe. Like a seizure.’ 

‘Are you crazy?’ Izzie said. 

‘No, Izzie’s right,’ Derek said appearing at the door. Alex ignored them all. 

‘Y/N,’ he whispered, ‘wake up, it’s okay. I’m here.’

‘Shake harder Alex!’ 

‘Flash a light!’ 

‘Will you all get out!?’ Alex yelled, ‘I know what I’m doing okay?!’

‘Alex,’ Y/N mumbled. Bright eyes shone at him through the dark as Y/N came to. Alex could hear the troops retreating and mumbling to one another about Alex’s bad temper but he didn’t care. 

‘What happened?!’ Y/N said sitting up confused. 

‘You had a night terror,’ Alex said, ‘well I think.’

‘Did I?’ Y/N said. Their chest was heaving and there was fear written all over their face.

‘Yeah, you don’t remember?’ 

‘No…’ 

‘Well, that’s good right?’

‘I don’t know. I don’t think so. I don’t feel right. Something’s wrong.’

‘Like what?’ 

‘I don’t know. I just-’ Y/N started though their expression changed halfway through.

‘Are you okay?’ Alex asked. Without warning, Y/N burst into tears and couldn’t stop. Y/N’s body racked with sobs as Alex held them close to him whispering anything reassuring he could think of.

‘It’s okay,’ Alex said putting his arm around Y/N. Y/N nodded They sat there like that for a good twenty minutes before Y/N pulled back with a sniffle, ‘I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I don’t know why I am so upset. I don’t even remember what happened in my dream.’

‘Well it was a night terror they’re a bit more physical than a bad dream,’ Alex said, ‘my mom used to have them when I was little.’

‘Oh, Alex,’ Y/N said sadly, ‘I’m sorry. I had no idea.’

‘It’s not your fault,’ Alex said, ‘they’re not something that you can help.’

‘No, but sometimes you might like not having to look after everyone.’

‘It’s okay,’ he said with a smile pulling Y/N in for another hug.

When they stopped embracing Y/N looked up at Alex with a gasp.

‘Alex, you’re crying,’ Y/N said. Alex looked at Y/N before dabbing his eyes and seeing that he was in fact crying as well. He hadn’t realised and like Y/N he didn’t know why.

‘I am. I guess it’s been a long day,’ Alex said. 

‘Yeah,’ Y/N said. They took a hand and wiped it gently along Alex’s cheek and then leant up and kissed him.

‘Well, at least I’m not the only one.’

‘Only one what?’ Y/N asked. 

‘Who looks after people. We’ve got each other.’

‘Yeah… come on let’s get some sleep,’ Y/N said pulling back to lay down on the bed. Alex followed suit. 

They were just about to settle down when the door swung open and George appeared. 

‘What O’Malley?’ Alex said.

‘I heard screaming,’ George said with a yawn, ‘but I was in the bathroom.’

‘Go back to bed George,’ Y/N said with a smile, ‘Alex has taken care of everything.’


End file.
